Nipple for nursing bottle

Abstract

A nursing bottle nipple provides controlled and limited liquid flow by providing an opening in the nipple of fluid flow restricting small size and a partition diaphragm in the nipple cavity with a second opening also for restricting liquid flow. The two openings cooperate to limit liquid flow in response to the suction created by a baby. The partition opening is larger than the nipple opening to permit the desired fluid flow due to the reduced pressure drop across the partition created by the restricted opening size in the nipple body. The partition forms a small chamber in the nipple to limit the volume of liquid that a baby can withdraw at a time. Different embodiments are disclosed wherein the opening in the partition may be a hole of different shapes or a slit, or it may be a separate element attached to the nipple by the ring cap. The slit opens into an opening of a desired magnitude by flexure of the partition in response to the suction pressure differential thereacross. Different diaphragms may have different positions in the nipple forming different chamber sizes. The nipple and diaphragm may both be cylindrical and subject to distortion by mastication by the baby during sucking to both open up or further close the diaphragm opening.

1 . A nursing bottle nipple for insertion past the lips of an infant and into the infant's mouth, the nipple comprising: 
 a pliable nipple body having a nipple portion and an intermediate portion flaring radially outward from said nipple portion, said intermediate portion being sized and flared to intercept the infant's lips and prevent further insertion of said nipple body into the infant's mouth, said pliable nipple body having a hollow interior having a wide proximal open end and a narrower distal end, the distal end having when undistorted at least one first aperture of a first transverse area for providing fluid communication between the body interior and the body exterior;    an annular flange extending radially outwardly from the intermediate portion of the body at the body proximal open end for securing the body to a nursing bottle; and    a diaphragm in said body interior forming a fluid receiving chamber in said body interior between the diaphragm and the distal end, said diaphragm having a second aperture having when undistorted a second transverse area greater than the first transverse area for providing fluid communication between the proximal end and said chamber, said at least one first aperture and said second aperture each having a maximum transverse area such that each aperture restricts liquid flow therethrough in response to a sucking action on the distal end externally the nipple body to cooperatively limit the flow of liquid therethrough, said diaphragm being spaced distally from said intermediate portion to place said diaphragm between or past the infant's lips.    
     
     
         2 . The nipple of  claim 1  wherein the body, flange and diaphragm are one piece molded material.  
     
     
         3 . The nipple of  claim 1  wherein the at least one first aperture comprises a plurality of apertures of substantially the same transverse area.  
     
     
         4 . The nipple of  claim 1  wherein the at least one first aperture comprises an array of at least three relatively small apertures.  
     
     
         5 . The nipple of  claim 1  wherein the at least one first aperture comprises a normally closed slit which opens in response to flexure of the body.  
     
     
         6 . The nipple of  claim 1  wherein the second aperture comprises a circular hole.  
     
     
         7 . The nipple of  claim 1  wherein the second aperture comprises a slit that is normally closed and wherein the diaphragm is pliable and flexes the slit open in response to flexure thereof, said slit when open forming an opening larger than said at least one first aperture.  
     
     
         8 . The nipple of  claim 7  wherein the slit comprises a plurality of slits in the diaphragm.  
     
     
         9 . The nipple of  claim 8  wherein the slits extend radially across the diaphragm in a pie-shaped configuration.  
     
     
         10 . The nipple of  claim 1  wherein the diaphragm includes a further flange juxtaposed with the annular flange.  
     
     
         11 . The nipple of  claim 10  wherein the diaphragm includes a conduit portion extending from the further flange, the conduit portion having a restricted end and an open end, the second aperture being disposed in said restricted conduit portion end.  
     
     
         12 . The nipple of  claim 1  including means for setting the spacing of the diaphragm to the at least one first aperture in the body distal end to thereby set the volume of the chamber to a predetermined value.  
     
     
         13 . The nipple of  claim 11  wherein the body chamber is circular cylindrical with a given diameter, the conduit portion being circular cylindrical and having a diameter closely received in the chamber to form a fluid seal at the interface of the conduit portion with the body at said chamber.  
     
     
         14 . The nipple of  claim 1  wherein the body has a cylindrical nipple portion and a flange coupling portion for coupling the nipple portion to the annular flange, the coupling portion including an undulating section between the nipple portion and the annular flange, the nipple portion extending from the coupling portion, and the undulation section having an annular channel extending about said nipple portion.  
     
     
         15 . The nipple of  claim 1  wherein the chamber holds a maximum of about ⅕ fluid ounce.  
     
     
         16 . The nipple of  claim 1  wherein the diaphragm tapers from a maximum thickness at said body to a minimum thickness at said second aperture.  
     
     
         17 . The nipple of  claim 1  wherein the relative areas of the at least one first aperture and the second aperture is such that liquid collects in the chamber in response to said sucking action.  
     
     
         18 . The nipple of  claim 1  wherein the diaphragm is located in the nipple body such that the diaphragm is subject to distortion forces by mastication by a baby sucking on the nipple.  
     
     
         19 . The nipple of  claim 1  wherein the diaphragm is located in the nipple body such the diaphragm aperture is subject to increased opening and decreased opening by mastication distortion by a baby sucking on the nipple.  
     
     
         20 . A nursing bottle nipple comprising: 
 a pliable nipple body having a hollow interior with a relatively wide proximal open end and a narrower distal end, the distal end having at least one first aperture of a first transverse area for providing fluid communication between the body exterior and the body interior;    an annular flange extending radially outwardly from the body at the body proximal open end for securing the body to a nursing bottle; and    a partition located in said body interior and forming a liquid receiving chamber in said body between the partition and the distal end, said partition having a second aperture of a second transverse area for providing fluid communication between said chamber and the proximal end, said at least one first aperture and said second aperture each having a maximum transverse area that restricts relative liquid flow through each of said apertures as the liquid flows from the proximal end through the second and at least one first apertures in response to a sucking action on the distal end, such that liquid flow into the chamber through the second aperture cooperatively with the flow from the chamber through the at least one aperture in response to said sucking action such that liquid collects in said chamber.